Gavin Opie’s last visit to Hawera ended before it began, but the Te Aroha trainer hopes an unexpected return to the South Taranaki track on Tuesday will produce a much better outcome.
Opie had Just A Tipple and Mister Pucci entered for Saturday’s Opunake Cup meeting at New Plymouth, which was abandoned after overnight rain left the track waterlogged. The eight-race card was rescheduled for Tuesday, and due to a prior commitment at the New Plymouth Racecourse, it has been relocated to Hawera.
According to Love Racing statistics, Tuesday’s two runners will be the first that Opie has ever saddled at Hawera. However, it will not be the first time he has taken horses to that venue.
“We haven’t had any runners at Hawera before, but we did go down there once for a meeting that ended up being abandoned,” Opie said. “I think it was a Sunday meeting. We made it all the way down there, and once we turned up at the track, Paul Moseley told us the races were off. We had to pack up again and head back home.
“That wasn’t ideal, but it’s a different story this time around. It’s good that the races have been rescheduled and I’m looking forward to seeing how our two go on Tuesday. I don’t think the extra few days will make any difference to them.
“They were already down at Robbie Patterson’s stable in New Plymouth, and it’s just a matter of getting them across to Hawera from there. Lemmy Douglas and another of Robbie’s workers rode them this (Sunday) morning and said they felt really strong.”
Four-race winner Just A Tipple will contest the Seaton Park (1400m), where Liam Kauri’s 4kg claim will reduce his 60kg topweight to 56kg.
The five-year-old was a gallant second placegetter in a similar race at Te Rapa last start, where he was edged out by a head by Canny Man.
“It was a good run at Te Rapa the other day,” Opie said. “He always runs good races when he jumps well from the barriers. But he’s such a laid-back customer, he sometimes almost goes to sleep in the gates. The riders do their best to get him to jump, but sometimes he just comes out in his own time. But when he does jump with them, he usually performs well.
“He’s been thriving since that last-start run. I was excited to see him race at New Plymouth on Saturday, because he’s won at that track before. But I’m pretty sure having the race at Hawera on Tuesday won’t make much of a difference for him.”
Mister Pucci will step up to Rating 75 company for Tuesday’s Agfirst (1600m).
“He’s racing really well in this preparation, winning three of his last four starts,” Opie said. “This is a step up in class after winning those Rating 65 races, but it’s probably not an overly strong Rating 75 field. I’m hoping he’ll be able to take that next step and carry on his good form.”
